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A compressor pedal is a pedal that you don’t really know that you need until you try it. In short, a just makes everything you’re playing sound better, but you can read all about compressor pedals here in our ultimate guide to compressor pedals.
But what are the best compressor pedals for guitar?
We have put together a list of the best compressor pedals for both new and seasoned guitarists to help you find the right one.
The Best Compressor Pedals for Guitar
Keeley Compressor Plus
There is a reason that Keeley Electronics is known for their compressor pedals. And the Compressor Plus is a fantastic, budget-friendly compressor pedal that would work on any pedalboard.
A neat feature of the Compressor Plus is that it has a toggle switch to change between Single Coil & Humbucker modes, which changes how the pedal reacts to the pickups in your guitar.
The Compressor+ is capable of doing anything from subtle compression to drastic, squishy, and heavy compression – meaning it can work for just about any genre of music from metal to country.
WHERE TO BUY
Compressor+ Demo from Pedal Haven
Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer
Perhaps one of the most popular compressor pedals, the Boss CS-3 is a powerhouse of a compressor. The CS-3 does not have any tricks up its sleeve – It is just a straight-up great compressor pedal for any genre of music.
WHERE TO BUY
Empress Effects Compressor MKII
If you’re looking for a bit more options for sculpting the compression of your guitar signal, then the Empress Effects Compressor MKII may be your answer. With three different compression ratios to choose from and a whole lot of controls to shape the compression, the Compressor from Empress is a fantastic, studio-grade compressor pedal.
WHERE TO BUY
Wampler Pedals Ego Compressor V2
The Ego Compressor V2 from Wampler Pedals is another fantastic choice for a compressor pedal. With individual controls over the sustain, tone, attack, volume, and blend the Ego V2 offers a ton of tone-shaping options in a relatively small footprint.
WHERE TO BUY
JHS Pedals Whitey Tighty
The Whitey Tighty from JHS Pedals is a FET compressor that packs a lot of punch for its size! The smaller mini pedal enclosure of this pedal means it does not take up as much real estate on your pedalboard, but it still sounds great and offers up enough control over the compression with the Volume, Compression, and Blend knobs.
WHERE TO BUY
Xotic SP Compressor
the SP Compressor from Xotic is another tiny compressor pedal with a lot of potential. Its two-knob design gives it slightly fewer tone-shaping options than other compressors, but it is still a great-sounding compressor pedal. This little compressor is wildly popular among guitarists from all genres, making the list of the most popular pedals in 2021.
WHERE TO BUY
Origin Effects Cali76
If you’re looking for a studio-grade compressor pedal, the Cali76 from Origin Effects is a great option. I recently got one of these and it is an incredible compressor pedal. This is an extremely low-noise compressor pedal with a large number of well-thought-out knobs to help dial in your tone.
WHERE TO BUY